Album As Culpeper:All Dressed Up And Nowhere To Go, 1977 Sonet SLP1558

The Englishman Cy Nicklin had previously been part of the folk-rock trio Cy,
Maia & Robert (and also in Day Of Phoenixprior to
their first album). The Frenchman Robert Lelievre later went on to another great
group named Pan. It
is generally agreed that the first Culpeper's Orchard album is among the
finest from Scandinavia as a whole. A superb combination of heavy progressive
and folk stylings, the album also has its very own identity and haunting songs.
The English vocals are very good, often with harmony lines similar to Crosby,
Stills & Nash. The powerful music might be compared to Jethro Tull, The Beatles and Led
Zeppelin, but, as I said, with a strong personal touch.

"Second Sight" (1972) was a more relaxed affair, focusing on Cy Nicklin's
rural folk ingredients. Here his warm voice characterises the long cuts. Nils
Henriksen and Ken Gudman then left the group to play heavier, more
blues-influenced music in Mo-I-Rana, but Nicklin and Friis remained and
recruited three ex-members of Blast Furnace. "Going For A Song"
(1972) strengthened their rural rock elements, and at times it even bordered on
country rock. The album didn't sell too well, causing their record company to
withdraw financial support for their albums. The group remained active, though
further changes in personnel soon followed. Thomas Puggard-Müller of Delta Blues Band and Pan played with
Culpeper's Orchard from 1974 onwards (the group shortened their name in 1976
to Culpeper).

"All Dressed Up And Nowhere To Go" (1977) didn't sound much like their
earlier efforts, being more modern and lightweight - almost a pop-rock album.
Still Nicklin's songwriting was of a high standard and the album was greatly
underrated by people expecting another dose of progressive folk-rock.

Taken from Scented Gardens of the Mind - A
guide to the Golden Era of Progressive Rock (1968-1980) in more than 20 European
Countries, by Dag Erik Asbjørnsen, Borderline Productions, ISBN
1-899855-12-2